2-year-old's body found in car pulled from Green River; teen still missing

After a long, cold struggle, divers for the King County Sheriff's Office pulled a submerged car from the Green River that contained the body of a 2-year-old boy.

The other child who was in the car when it went into the river, 13-year-old Austin Fuda, was missing. Dozens of rescue workers have been searching for the two boys in the river since Monday.

The team is "disheartened" that both bodies weren't in the car, said Sgt. John Urquhart, after the car was pulled just north from where it veered off Green River Road Southeast on Friday.

Authorities believe Austin and 2-year-old Hunter Beaupre were trapped inside the car Friday morning when Fuda's 16-year-old stepsister drove off the road during a heavy rainfall. The car plunged into the river near the Auburn Golf Course.

The girl was able to get out of the car and tried to go back to get the boys, but was swept away by the current. Firefighters found her sitting on the river bank wet and hysterical.

Searchers today found the car with the windshield "inexplicably" broken out, Urquhart said. Authorities believe Austin may have tried to escape, but drowned in the fast-moving waters.

"We were hoping and praying he was in the car," said Kristin Fuda, aunt of Austin. "This is like another nightmare on top of everything."

Curt Beaupre, Hunter's uncle, said he was stunned by the news, which had many family and friends who had gathered along the river in tears.

The sheriff's office planned to bring specially trained dogs to search along the river bank for the missing child.

Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com